[vox-tech] LATEX, ucthesis.cls and changes in font size

[Dylan Beaudette]

On Thursday 07 December 2006 16:32, p at dirac.org wrote:
> On Thu 07 Dec 06,  8:50 AM, Dylan Beaudette <dylan.beaudette at gmail.com> 
said:
> > On 12/7/06, p at dirac.org <p at dirac.org> wrote:
> > >On Tue 05 Dec 06,  7:44 PM, Dylan Beaudette <dylan.beaudette at gmail.com>
> > >
> > >said:
> > >> Greetings,
> > >>
> > >> I am attempting to use the ucthesis.cls document class for my MS
> > >> thesis,
> > >
> > >but
> > >
> > >> have run into a bit of a snag in terms of altering font size. Commands
> > >
> > >like
> > >
> > >> \tiny \scriptsize etc. do not seem to have any effect within a
> > >> verbatim environment. I did not have this problem when using a
> > >> different document class. Ideally I would like all verbatim blocks to
> > >> be slightly smaller
> > >
> > >than
> > >
> > >> the rest of the text so that they don't take up as much room on the
> > >> page.
> > >>
> > >> here is a link to some of the details:
> > >> http://www.movesinstitute.org/~kolsch/ucthesis/ucthesis.readme
> > >>
> > >> Cheers,
> > >
> > >Hey Dylan,
> > >
> > >Do yourself a favor and don't ever use verbatim.  There's another
> > > package which is at least an order of magnitude better.  Maybe even two
> > > orders of magnitude.  It's called fancyvrb.
> > >
> > >
> > >You can change font size quite easily with it:
> > >
> > >
> > >   \usepackage{fancyvrb}
> > >
> > >   \begin{Verbatim}[fontsize=8]
> > >      foobar
> > >   \end{Verbatim}
> > >
> > >
> > >The fancyvrb environment rocks supremely when you include another
> > > package called 'relsize' because it allows you to change fontsize
> > > relative to the current fontsize:
> > >
> > >
> > >   \usepackage{fancyvrb,relsize}
> > >
> > >   \begin{Verbatim}[fontsize=\relsize{-2}]
> > >      foobar
> > >   \end{Verbatim}
> > >
> > >
> > >It also allows you to print line numbers next to the text on the left
> > >margin
> > >(note you can also use "numbers=right" to get the numbers to the right
> > > of the text).
> > >
> > >
> > >   \begin{Verbatim}[fontsize=\relsize{-2},numbers=left]
> > >      item 1
> > >      item 2
> > >      item 3
> > >   \end{Verbatim}
> > >
> > >
> > >You can even define your own environment so you don't have to keep
> > > putting the same options within the [] everytime you use fancyvrb:
> > >
> > >
> > >   \DefineVerbatimEnvironment%
> > >      {VerbatimProg}%
> > >      {Verbatim}%
> > >      {numbers=left, fontsize=\relsize{-2}, frame=single}
> > >
> > >
> > >   \begin{VerbatimProg}
> > >   int main( int argc, char *argv[] );
> > >   \end{VerbatimProg}
> > >
> > >
> > >BTW, the "frame=single" means "put a frame box around the verbatim
> > > text". Another very cool feature.
> > >
> > >One really great thing about fancyvrb is that you __can__ use LaTeX
> > >commands
> > >from within the verbatim environment.  OH YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!
> > >
> > >   \DefineVerbatimEnvironment%
> > >      {VerbatimCmdProg}%
> > >      {Verbatim}%
> > >      {numbers=left, fontsize=\relsize{-2}, frame=single,
> > >      commandchars=\\\{\}}
> > >
> > >
> > >Allows you to do...
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >   \begin{VerbatimCmdProg}
> > >   int main( void )
> > >   \{
> > >         printf("hello world\Backslash{n}");   \label{printf_call}
> > >         return 0;
> > >   \}
> > >   \end{VerbatimCmdProg}
> > >
> > >
> > >   Here we call {\tt printf()} at line \ref{printf_call}.
> > >
> > >
> > >Two things to note when you use the commandchars feature of fancyvrb:
> > >
> > >   * You have to escape the French braces "{" and "}".
> > >   * You also have to jump through a hoop to print backslashes.  Here's
> > > how I defined \Backslash:
> > >
> > >         \newcommand{\Backslash}[1]{\texttt{\symbol{92}}#1}
> > >
> > >
> > >This is just a very tiny example of the power of fancyvrb.
> > >
> > >Have fun!
> > >
> > >Peter
> >
> > Thanks Pete!
> >
> > I will look into this immediately!
> >
> > Also, as a more general question: would you or any others recommend
> > using the slightly dated ucthesis.cls ? Or would the book class, with
> > some tweaking be better?
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Dylan
>
> The ucthesis is subtley different from Davis's requirement.  I believe
> ucthesis is actually "ucberkeleythesis".  Apparently the requirements are
> _not_ uniform across the UC campuses.
>
> That said, it gets you very close.  It all depends on the mood of the
> person who checks your document.  I don't think anyone hunches over your
> thesis with a ruler and straight edge any longer.  There was a very minor
> thing with my dissertation, but I can't even remember what it was anymore. 
> That's the other fiction...since the advent of a computer, all of a sudden,
> reformatting your thesis takes on a whole different dimension.  A few
> clicks of a keyboard.  Back in the day, of course, you had to rewrite a
> 100+ page tech document.
>
>
> I would start with ucthesis since it's so close to what you need. 
> Borrowing someone's modified file is the best thing to do.  If you like, I
> can dig around for my modified ucthesis and send it to you offlist.
>
> Pete
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Thanks Pete. The document is looking better already.

Cheers,

-- 
Dylan Beaudette
Soils and Biogeochemistry Graduate Group
University of California at Davis
530.754.7341